I think these “events” can help, but because of the fragmented nature of the Internet and the incomplete social media networks we all find ourselves in, the results are often unpredictable. Some days and hashtags take off, others wither on the vine. Did you know that Wednesday, February 16th, is also #wbw70? That’s Wine Blogging Wednesday Number 70, hosted by Catavino and with a focus on Spanish wines. Like every Wednesday, it’s also #WW (Wine Wednesday), not to be confused with #FF (Follow Friday). It’s enough to make one forget that the # sign can also mean pound or number.

Other events include RAP‘s International Rosé Celebration Day (May 10, 2011), ZAP‘s Global Zinfandel Day (November 19, 2010–sorry I missed that one) and perhaps the granddaddy of all of these, The Wall Street Journal‘s Open That Bottle Night (the last Saturday of February, so February 26, 2011). Then-WSJ columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher started OTBN back in 2000, as a way of encouraging readers to open bottles from their cellars that they had been saving.

Since Gaiter and Brecher no longer have their outlet in WSJ, Liz O’Connell and Trish Barry have picked up the OTBN torch and have done what they can to promote it via Facebook and Twitter (#OTBN). OTBN is something I can identify with, as I tend to accumulate a lot of single bottles in my cellar that I have a hard time convincing myself to open. This year, I’m going to open one of those hoarded bottles, I swear.

I picked out a wine for Syrah Day last night, but as I am going to blind-taste my colleagues here at the office on it, I can’t say what it is yet. I’ll add it to the bottom of this post once the cat is out of the bag, but here’s a clue–the photo up top is of the region’s vineyards.

What do you think about cyberevents and special days? Do you participate? Should Wine Enthusiast be more active or vocal in promoting and participating in these occasions? Feel free to add your own wine-related cyberevents to the comments section–I’m sure there are many more out there.

#SyrahDay wine: Michel & Stéphane Ogier 2001 Côte Rôtie. Beatifully aromatic, with notes of smoke, pepper, cured meats, and olive. Maybe just a touch lean on the palate, but elegant and silky, with wonderful complexity. Anyone want to suggest a food pairing?

Photo @ Christophe Grilhé

Nearly every grape seems to have its own advocacy group these days: ZAP for Zinfandel, PS I Love You for Petite Sirah, TAPAS for Tempranillo. And why not? Every berry deserves a little love.

Grenache still doesn’t have a group of its own, but at least it has a day. This Friday, September 24, 2010 is International Grenache Day, an initiative born of the First International Grenache Symposium, which was held this past June in France’s Rhône Valley.

There are numerous local wine events being planned around the world focusing on Grenache, like the Hospice du Rhône-Paso Bowl event if you happen to be in Paso Robles. Retailers and restaurateurs elsewhere are also participating–just search the Web and you’re bound to find something. Better still is this Google Maps link I just got in from the Symposium.

If nothing else, plan to open a bottle of Grenache and post about it somewhere–on a blog, Facebook, Twitter–using the official #Grenache hash tag. Give this unsung grape a little love.

One of my favorite things to come out of the rise and proliferation of social media is the online or synchronized tasting. Whether it’s for wine, beer or spirits, online tastings have become one of the best ways to share the same bottle and informative experience with hundreds or even thousands of people simultaneously all over the world. Through the use of networking sites like Facebook and Twitter as well as personal blogs and organizational sites, people can share comments and opinions about a beverage and learn from participating representatives or producers all from the comfort of their home. Aside from being there one on one with the respective producer, what could be better than that?

And for the “sponsoring” producer, region or organization, what could be better than spreading the word on your product to all those people simultaneously, engaging them in conversation, soliciting their opinions and offering up additional information when required. Strong word of mouth is undeniably influential, especially when it comes to shopping and trying brands outside the mainstream. Especially when it comes to wine recommendations.

So, to kick off the summer, I decided to participate in a synchronized worldwide tasting organized by the folks at Sud de France in celebration of their 4th anniversary. Sud de France is a wonderful concept, acting as an umbrella brand for wine and food products from Languedoc-Roussillon. With over 30 appellations and 60 Vin de Pays situated within the region, there is obviously more than they could ever show with just one online tasting. However, the concept for this event was simply to offer an idea as to the breadth and diversity of the wines the region has to offer. As a fan of the region and the reviewer of the wines for the magazine, I couldn’t have been happier to participate and help spread the word about the bountiful offerings of the region.

Here were my impressions of the five wines selected for the synchronized tasting.

Sieur d’Arques NV Grande Cuvée 1531 Brut (Crémant de Limoux); $16, 12%.
Extremely pale yellow in color with delicate, fine bubble carbonation dancing up through the middle of the glass. The nose offers soft citrus (like pink grapefruit rind) alongside notes of Granny Smith apple and hints of yeast and yellow florals. The mouth is creamy and full with well-balanced acidity and a brisk lemony citrus character leading through to the clean finish. At about $16, this is an excellent value sparkler for brunch or casual bubbly with friends.

Gérard Bertrand 2008 Cigalus (Vin de Pays d’Oc); $30, 13.5%.
Composed of 75% Chardonnay, 20% Viognier, 5% Sauvignon Blanc, this is a beautiful wine from former rugby player turned rockstar vigneron Gérard Bertrand. The nose screams of Chardonnay goodness, with aromas of wood-grilled red apples, peach pit and butter-toasted almonds. After you get over that, the other components of the blend start to come in (the Viognier and Sauv Blanc) to liven things up with nuanced white floral notes (reminiscent to me of gardenia) and a suggestion of tropical acidity. Medium-light weight with full ripe apple and orange oil flavors, and toast coming through strong on the finish. Well-balanced and very enjoyable, this is a complex and very food-friendly wine that offers a higher-end VdP experience than I’m sure most people (unfortunately) haven’t yet had.

Vignerons Catalans NV Fruité Catalan Rosé (Côtes du Roussillon); $12, 13%.
Deep color for a rosé, like a true strawberry. The assertive bouquet offers plenty of small red berries and suggestions of strawberries and cream. It has a touch of sweetness to it, as though there was some simple syrup mixed in there with all those berries. The mouth is light and fresh with a ton of red cherry flavors and a hint of sweet spice in the background. Balanced and fruit-forward for sure, this rosé would be a great choice for the upcoming hot summer days to pair with lighter fare such as grilled chicken salad.

Domaine Dromadaire 30670 2006 Vin de Pays d’Oc; $12, 13%.
Wow… this pours impressively: opaque and almost black in color, like really dark prune juice. The nose is loaded with black fruit, including cherry, plum and berry, supported by some black olive and pepper flecks in the background. Moderately tannic and austere with a firm structure and more of that dark black fruit holding it all together. Leather, licorice and a touch of oak in the form of ground cocoa nibs appear on the finish. Balanced and big with plenty of fruit and spice for lovers of both. A superb value, indeed.

Mas de Madame 2006 Muscat de Frontignan; $17, 15.5%.
This wine is immediately attractive in the glass, with that nice, very typical nose of musky sweetness. Lovely aromas of mushy peach, honeysuckle and orange marmalade citrus are all very enticing, luring you in to a promisingly sweet experience. The mouth is a touch viscous and weighty, but the acidity livens up the ripe, lingering honeyed flavors. Apricot pit and dried orange rind drizzled with clover honey round out the finish. Well balanced, clean and easy to drink. A lovely choice for dessert, but just give me a nice chunk of blue cheese to go with it and I’m as happy as could be.

All in all, I think Sud de France did an excellent job of showing off the diverse selections the region has to offer. Even if they were all not my personal preference (though they did a darn good job nailing almost all five as such), the experience certainly showed some folks that there’s more to the region than what you might have tasted before, and with a little knowledge and adventure you can find some superb wines at excellent values.

To see what other people thought about the tasting, use the Twitter hashtag #SudDeFrance or #WorldTastingSync or check out the event’s website here and check out articles and comments on the tasting here.

What do you think about synchronized online tastings? Do you find them fun and informative like me, or would you rather just taste alone? I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the subject!

Redefining Weekday Wine
Usually it’s an inexpensive bottle casually consumed alongside a family dinner—a nonevent. Why not make it an event by choosing a more elevated alternative? Monday evening I chose a 1999 Karl Lawrence Morisoli Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the cellar, which turned a humdrum evening at home into a memorable night.

Dire Straits for Print Media?
As Appellation America found out, Internet readers balk at paying for content. Online advertising spending is growing, but evidently not fast enough to support all of the budding wine sites. As Tom Wark points out in his recent blog on the subject, print is where the money is—at least for the moment. Ultimately, people will pay for the best content and advertisers will pay to reach those audiences. Unlike in rock-and-roll, you can’t get “Money for nothing and your chicks for free” online.

Planning Ahead
Next week, our contributors will be gathering for our annual editorial conference, where we try to figure out what stories you’d like to read next year. But despite all that brainpower in one room, we inevitably overlook a few things. Write in below and let us know what you really want to read about.

I spent last weekend with thirty prolific and passionate wine bloggers on the North and South Fork of Long Island for a new event called, TasteCamp EAST. It was hosted by the king of New York wine blogging, Lenn Thompson. One of the many highlights of the trip for me was a flavor-filled lunch and vineyard walk at Shinn Estate Vineyards, on the North Fork. 

Owners Barbara Shinn and David  Page know a thing or two about food, after spending years building elegant restaurant Home on Cornelia Street, in Manhattan, which celebrates “farm to table” cuisine. They bring that same spirit to the cooking at the winery. David prepared a beautiful spread of dishes and laid out dozens of wines from Shinn, Jamesport, and Macari Vineyards. So, when assigned the difficult task of filling up a plate and pairing lunch with any wine you like, what does one do? I experimented to my heart’s delight.

Here are some of my favorite pairings:
Rocket Salad with a Mustard-Thyme Vinaigrette
Pair with: Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 “First Fruit” Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon
“Rocket” greens, also known as arugula, have a peppery flavor which played off well with the lively aromatics and flavors of this zippy Sauvignon Blanc.

Peconic Bay Calamari, Muffaleta Salad
Pair with: Macari Vineyards 2008 “Katherine’s Field” Sauvignon Blanc
Shellfish prepared in a fresh salad always benefits from a spritz of lemon and that’s what this citric, grassy Sauvignon Blanc contributes.

Piccolini Pasta with Asparagus, Spring Onions and Lemon
Pair with: Macari Vineyards 2008 Rose
This coral-colored Rose blend has enough red fruit to balance the weight of the asparagus, while the acidity plays off the spring onions and the sprinkle of parmesan.

Fire-Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms with Ramps and Fregula
Pair with: Jamesport 2006 Pinot Noir
Plump shiitake mushrooms with a touch of fregula grains are a match with this smooth, earthy Pinot Noir.

Crescent Duck Breast with Sea Salt, Pepper and Apricot-Mustard Sauce
Pair with: Shinn Estate 2007 Cabernet Franc (To-be released in 2010)
Tender duck breast with a tangy, sweet mustard sauce harmonize well with this meaty Cabernet Franc, a favorite amongst many attendees.

The beauty of Page’s food is its seeming simplicity. He allows the ingredients, often sourced from local farms, to display natural flavors on their own without being weighed down by heavy sauce and spice. A twist of lemon and a sprinkle of ramps is all that’s needed to produce these natural, North Fork pairings.

Have you tasted any wine or food in the North Fork? How do you select wine and food pairings?